|
1 members (San Nicolas),
375
guests, and
101
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Forums26
Topics35,514
Posts417,578
Members6,167
| |
Most Online4,112
Mar 25th, 2025
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 528
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 528 |
Interested in opinions on what percentage of Greek Catholics do the churching rite? How about Orthodox?
Also, I'm told Parma and Passaic have the rite readily available in their books, but Pittsburgh does not. Any thoughts on that or on the status of Van Nuys?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 98
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 98 |
The OCA and Antiochians church mothers and infants. From the OCA site ( http://www.oca.org/OCChapter.asp?SID=2&ID=52): Together with being baptized and chrismated, the new-born child is also "churched." The rite of churching imitates the offering of male children to the temple according to the law of the Old Testament, particularly the offering of Christ on the fortieth day after his birth (Luke 2:22). Because of this fact, baptism in the Orthodox tradition came to be prescribed for. the fortieth day or thereabouts. In the New Testament Church both male and female children are formally presented to God in the Church with special prayers at this time.
Also at this time, once more in imitation of Old Testament practice, the mother of the new-born child is also "churched." Here we have the specific example of the purification ritual of Jesus' mother Mary (Lk 2:22). In the Orthodox tradition the churching of the mother is her re-entry into the assembly of God's people after her participation with God in the holy act of birth and after her separation from the Liturgy during her confinement. Thus, the mother is blessed to enter once more into communion with the mystery of Christ's Body and Blood in the Divine Liturgy of the Church from which she has been necessarily absent.
The new mother should be churched before the baptism of her infant so that she can be present at the sacramental entrance of her child into the Kingdom of Christ. The official service book indicates that this should be done.
It is also the Orthodox tradition that the mysteries of baptism and chrismation, called officially "holy illumination," are fulfilled in the immediate reception by the "newly-enlightened" of Holy Communion in the eucharistic liturgy of the Church. This is the case with infants as well as adults.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 439
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 439 |
It is a normal part of Melkite Church life.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,964
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,964 |
Women who are expecting are excluded from Divine Liturgy during their "confinement" ?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 379
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 379 |
I'm in the Eparchy of Van Nuys. My daughter was baptized a few months ago and we did the churching, but it was done about 1/2 hour before the liturgy in which she was baptized. We had planned to do it the week before, but due to sick kids we weren't there.
Elizabeth
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,036 Likes: 4
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,036 Likes: 4 |
My daughter & grandson weren't churched, to the best of my knowledge, but I did observe it in San Diego at the BC church there (name slips my mind; Fr. Robert Pipka).
I'd go stark raving mad staying away from the Divine Liturgy for forty days . . .
hawk
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,930
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,930 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,994 Likes: 10
Moderator Member
|
|
Moderator Member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,994 Likes: 10 |
There is a physical reason for the 'confinement' of the mother for forty days...it is because a woman can have an issue of blood for up to six weeks (forty days) after birth. In the past, and because of this, women were supposed to really take it easy--for their own good and for the sake of their health. It is still a good idea, but many modern women do not seem to think so...
Alice
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 379
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 379 |
There is a physical reason for the 'confinement' of the mother for forty days...it is because a woman can have an issue of blood for up to six weeks (forty days) after birth. In the past, and because of this, women were supposed to really take it easy--for their own good and for the sake of their health. It is still a good idea, but many modern women do not seem to think so...
Alice It is true that we should take it easy for six weeks after birth, but in our modern times we rarely have to walk to church. It is easy enough to walk out to the car, and from the car into the church. I can certainly see the logic in the "unclean" period historically. It does seem to have functioned to protect a woman's health and well being. Elizabeth
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,564 Likes: 1
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,564 Likes: 1 |
If the new mother is physically unable to come to the Church, then the Priest should come to her, give her the several blessings - ideally at the appropriate intervals - and bring her Holy Communion. The notion that childbirth is "defiling" is downright Manichaean.
Fr. Serge
|
|
|
|
|
